HOW-TO & GUIDANCE4 min read

Configure phone menus, keypad input, and hold queues

Choose how an agent approaches a phone menu and set bounded keypad and hold behavior.

Reviewed September 16, 2026

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Use Call Handling → Phone menus & keypad (IVR · DTMF) for phone-menu navigation and keypad settings. These controls address different directions: an outbound agent may need to press a destination's menu keys, while a caller may press keys to provide information to your agent.

Before you start

Document the destination's menu and identify a test line you are allowed to call. Use a saved, isolated flow. Browser text tests cannot establish whether a telephone system receives tones or whether hold detection works with its audio.

Open the call flow's Call Handling pane and expand Phone menus & keypad (IVR · DTMF).
Enable IVR Handling.
Choose Action → Dial Through to configure navigation. Choose Hang Up only when ending on detection of a menu is the intended behavior.
Under How to navigate, choose the approach for that destination.

Option	Intended use
Let the AI converse	Work through the menu within the conversation without a fresh opening when a person answers
Auto detect	Listen for options and choose from your ordered preferences before opening the conversation with a person
Known menu path	Follow the exact key sequence you provide before opening the conversation with a person

For Auto detect or Let the AI converse, add a Priority List, such as “Appointments” followed by “Reception.” These are menu options to look for, not telephone numbers.

For Known menu path, enter one step per menu level. If the destination asks for 2, then an extension ending with #, use separate steps such as 2 and 123#. Use only the allowed telephone keys: digits, *, and #. Confirm the real menu order instead of relying on this example.

Review the displayed attempt and keypress-delay controls. A delay that is too short can send keys before the destination is listening; a long delay can make navigation unnecessarily slow.

Bound time spent on hold

In the IVR settings, enable Wait on Hold if waiting for a person is appropriate.
Set Max Hold Time to a limit the business accepts, within the range shown.
Review Maximum call length as well so the overall call limit suits the intended wait and conversation.

Hold time is part of the call, so include it when reviewing call duration and usage. Test the transition from a menu to hold music, from hold to a person, and a case where nobody answers within the allowed time.

Configure caller keypad input

Under Enable DTMF, review:

Control	What to decide
Button Press Delay	How long to wait between digits before passing the collected input to the agent
Allow Caller Interruption During DTMF Input	Whether voice interruption is appropriate while collecting digits
Max Digits Per Input	The length of the value you expect the caller to enter
Allowed Exceeded Attempts	How many over-limit attempts are allowed
End Call Message	What to say when the displayed exceeded-attempts action ends the call

Write conversation instructions explaining when to request digits and how to acknowledge them. Enabling a keypad setting does not define the business question the agent should ask.

Validate before using client routing

Save the configuration, publish the isolated test flow, and place a controlled telephone call through the intended provider path. Check the recording or transcript and call trace where available. Verify the chosen menu branch, person greeting, collected digits, and ending reason.

If navigation fails, check the real menu sequence, keypress timing, selected mode, and whether the destination changed its wording. If caller input is split, review the delay and digit limit. If the agent ends early, inspect the call-length, hold, silence, and exceeded-attempts settings together.